A vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle recently draws public attention as an eco-friendly vehicle. The vehicle includes an electric motor that generates a running driving force and a power storage device in which an electric power supplied to the electric motor is stored.
There has been a configuration in which the power storage device mounted on the vehicle is charged by a power supply provided outside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an “external power supply”). For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 05-328619 (Patent Document 1) discloses a charging device that is configured to charge an electric vehicle from a charger through a cable. The charger charges the electric vehicle based on a signal supplied from a switch that detects a connection state of a connector provided in a leading end portion of the cable, a signal supplied from a switch provided in a coupling that is separated by a tension applied to the cable, and a signal supplied from a start switch that is used to start the charging.